Though the current project started as a series of posts charting my grief journey after the death of my mother, I am no longer actively grieving. Now, the blog charts a conversation in living, mainly whatever I want it to be. This is an activity that goes well with the theme of this blog (updated 2018). The Sense of Doubt blog is dedicated to my motto: EMBRACE UNCERTAINTY. I promote questioning everything because just when I think I know something is concrete, I find out that it’s not.

Hey, Mom! The Explanation.

Here's the permanent dedicated link to my first Hey, Mom! post and the explanation of the feature it contains.

Saturday, June 24, 2017

I have to say that I was appalled to learn that so-called "alt-right" trolls were criticizing the new Star Trek TV show due September 24th on CBS as "white genocide," claiming that white people are missing from the program as if it committed genocide of white people.

Putting the imprecise term "white people" (because what does that even mean) in the same sentence with "genocide" is problematic anyway.

First, what does it mean to be "white." I like that Ta-Nehisi Coates in his book Between the World and Me referred to this idea as "people who believe themselves to be white," which is an excellent away to frame the concept of racial dilution in our species. Of course, that previous sentence begs the question that there are races at all, because there are not, there's one: human.

But anyway...

Using a term like "white genocide" should remind us of the Holocaust, which is not something we should use to compare to a Star Trek TV show making a cast so diverse that "white" people are under-represented or even missing entirely. Really?

In the future that Star Trek represents in which all beings of various backgrounds from many planets and species all work together in peace and harmony is it a huge surprise that white people, especially white males are under-represented if not missing entirely? Isn't that an obvious possibility of such a future?

And isn't it refreshing to see Star Trek continue to reverse the white colonialism and white supremacy messages of the original series despite its efforts to create one of the most diverse casts of its era and yet still show the great white man using his privilege to "fix" the problems of the non-white peoples he encounters?

I mean, really.

I saw a Twitter message reprinted in the Io9 article that called Star Trej:Discovery "fully SJW converged" because the only "white males are a Vulcan a-hole and a wimpy helmsman."

Okay, what does "SJW converged" even mean? Did this illiterate moron mean "SJW converted"?

And, the comment itself, like so much of the rhetoric of the "alt-right," seems simply a reaction of fear, of being threatened. Why are these champions of the white male alt-right province so threatened by examples of diversity, inclusion, and representation of those not like themselves? This is much like the Hugo Awards battle of two years ago (which has mostly died out) and this outcry (imagine a thousand shrieking babies in a tightly enclosed train station waiting area with bad ventilation) about the SJWs seems like the same type of fear-mongering Hitler used to motivate a nation to massacre the Jews (and other undesirables) and the fear-mongering of the current, so-called "president" of the United States (Cheeto Hitler).

Really?

The Alt-Right keeps trying to cast SJW as an insult, much like the defaming of "political correctness," which is just another way of saying kindness or inclusiveness (lack of exclusion).

We need more SJW campaigns in this state of the Hate Nation.

In a real Star Trek future, a crew could exist with no humans at all, or even no white and male humans. I like that idea.

These trolls are too accustomed to their white privilege, and when they think they see it yanked away, they cry like babies whose only means of articulation is that shrieking wail.

Star Trek has always been the pioneer of such ideology, of accepting, peaceful, and advanced civilization.

I believe in the dream.

Now here's a bunch of shares, but hey, up to here, original content by me.

Star Trek: Discovery star replies to show's racist critics

There’s been a rather ugly strain of criticism of Star Trek: Discovery online and it goes like this: The upcoming CBS All Access show’s cast is too diverse for some of the franchise’s longtime fans. The term “white genocide” has been bandied about. Original series star George Takei has even gotten involved to defend the new show. But the Discovery cast themselves haven’t commented on the matter — until now.

EW asked Discovery star Sonequa Martin-Green — the first black woman to lead a Trek cast — about the complaints. What would she say to these self-declared fans, if anything?

“Well, I would encourage them to key into the essence and spirit of Star Trek that has made it the legacy it is — and that’s looking across the way to the person sitting in front of you and realizing you are the same, that they are not separate from you, and we are all one,” Martin-Green said. “That’s something Star Trek has always upheld and I completely believe that is why it’s been a mainstay in society in the hearts of so many people for so many decades. I would encourage them to look past their opinions and social conditioning and key into what we’re doing here — which is telling a story about humanity that will hopefully bring us all together.”

To read more on Star Trek: Discovery, pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands Friday, or buy it here now. Don’t forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.

Indeed, The Original Series, in particular, was considered ultra progressive, especially for 1966 — the show’s bridge crew included a Russian character (ensign Chekov played by Walter Koenig), a Japanese man (Lt. Sulu played by Takei), a black woman (Lt. Uhura played by Nichelle Nichols) and a rotation of others, all working together with mutual respect. The show featured TV’s first interracial kiss and frequently tackled issues of social justice in allegorical ways. Over the decades since then, the franchise has continued to present Gene Roddenberry’s utopian multicultural vision of humans and other species overcoming their differences to solve problems. It’s kind of the whole idea behind the show.

“And it’s hard to understand and appreciate Star Trek if you don’t understand and appreciate that,” Martin-Green continued. “It’s one of the foundational principles of Star Trek and I feel if you miss that then you miss the legacy itself. I’m incredibly proud to be the lead of this show and be at the forefront of an iteration of Star Trek that’s from the eyes of a black woman that’s never been done before, though obviously there’s been other forms of diversity that have been innovated by Trek. I feel like we’re taking another step forward, which I think all stories should do. We should go boldly where nobody has gone before and stay true to that.”

It’s hard to put it better than that.

On the show, Martin-Green plays First Officer Michael Burnham, the focus of the story. Her commanding officer is Captain Philippa Georgiou, played by another woman of color, Michelle Yeoh. The cast also includes the TV franchise’s first openly gay character, a science officer played by Anthony Rapp.

Here’s what Takei said on MSNBC earlier this year about the criticism: “Today in this society we have alien life forms that we call trolls. And these trolls carry on without knowing what they’re talking about and knowing even less about the history of what they’re talking about. And some of these trolls go on to be presidents of nations … These so-called trolls haven’t seen a single episode of the new series because it hasn’t been aired. And they don’t know the history of Star Trek, that Gene Rodenberry created this with the idea of finding strength in our diversity.”

And by the way, a rather similar criticism hit Star Wars: The Force Awakens after its trailer debuted — and before the film went on to become a worldwide critical and box office smash.

Star Trek: Discovery star Sonequa Martin-Green breaks her silence

Ready to learn a bit more about the lead character in Star Trek: Discovery?

We spoke to star Sonequa Martin-Green about her mysterious role for this week’s upcoming issue of Entertainment Weekly. Her character, First Officer Michael Burnham (deliberately a man’s name), has been shrouded in mystery so far, with the show’s trailer hinting at a Vulcan past. Is she human? Vulcan? Martin-Green is ready to clear things up (a little).

We can tell you that Burnham is fully human (not half-Vulcan as some have speculated) and is the first human to attend the Vulcan Learning Center as a child and then the Vulcan Science Academy as a young woman. She has a close relationship with Sarek (James Frain), the father of Spock. For the past seven years, she’s been serving on the U.S.S. Shenzhou.

“I’m the first officer on the U.S.S. Shenzhou that is captained by Captain Philippa Georgiou, who is played by the amazing Michelle Yeoh,” she says. “I have an inner war and it’s a journey of self discovery and finding out what it means to be alive, to be human, to be a Starfleet officer, what it means to be a hero.”

The producers searched long and hard to find an actor who could pull of Burnham’s divided nature. “We read a lot of people and they either went way too robotic or and chilly or way too emotional,” says Aaron Harberts, who serves as showrunner on the series along with Gretchen J. Berg. “What’s beautiful about Sonequa’s performance is she’s capable of playing two, three, four things at once. She’s got such a great command of her craft, she’s able to be aloof but warm; logical but able to surrender her emotional side to the audience.”

Adds Martin-Green: “I have the Vulcan conflict in my life from Sarek and Amanda so there’s always going to be that inner conflict with me. But I think it’s relatable because we all have some kind of inner conflict going on — who we are versus who we present ourselves to be. There’s a lot to be discovered.”

Star Trek: Discovery first look at Jason Isaacs as Captain Lorca

Here’s a major first look at Star Trek: Discovery: Above is the first photo of Jason Isaacs as Gabriel Lorca, a steely Federation Starship Captain who’s considered a brilliant military tactician. The photo also gives the first hint of the bridge of the U.S.S. Discovery — which hasn’t yet been fully revealed (the bridge shown in the CBS All Access’ drama’s trailer is on the U.S.S. Shenzhou). Isaacs is best known for his work in the Harry Potter franchise (as Lucius Malfoy) and on shows such as Netflix’s The OA and Showtime’s Brotherhood.

Discovery stars Sonequa Martin-Green (The Walking Dead) as Starfleet First Officer Michael Burnham, marking the first time a Trek series lead has not been a captain. Also in the mix is Michelle Yeoh as Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), under whom Burnham serves, and Lt. Saru (Doug Jones), a new alien species in the Trek franchise, among others. Plus, a whole lot of Klingons.

Star Trek: Discovery announces its official premiere date

Trek will return to series television on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 8:30 p.m. ET with a special telecast on CBS (the network’s NFL football coverage will act as its lead-in). Both the premiere and the second episode will also immediately debut on the CBS All Access streaming service (so if viewers finish the premiere and want to know what happens next, they can instantly switch to All Access to find out). After that, the series be released weekly on All Access for the rest of its 15-episode run, which will be split into two parts. The first eight episodes will be made available on Sunday nights through Nov. 5, then the show will take a winter hiatus; Discovery will resume its second chapter in January 2018. Outside the U.S., the series will air on Netflix.

The new drama series stars Sonequa Martin-Green (The Walking Dead) as a First Officer on a starship along with Michelle Yeoh and Jason Isaacs as starship captains. Discovery is a prequel series that takes place a decade before the events in 1966’s original Star Trek series and features the ground-breaking franchise’s most diverse cast ever. According to CBS, the show will “follow the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new lifeforms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself.” The show is currently filming in Toronto and has also shot in Jordan.

NOTE on time: When I post late, I had been posting at 7:10 a.m. because Google is on Pacific Time, and so this is really 10:10 EDT. However, it still shows up on the blog in Pacific time. So, I am going to start posting at 10:10 a.m. Pacific time, intending this to be 10:10 Eastern time. I know this only matters to me, and to you, Mom. But I am not going back and changing all the 7:10 a.m. times. But I will run this note for a while. Mom, you know that I am posting at 10:10 a.m. often because this is the time of your death.

I am Christopher Tower the gmr

I am Christopher Tower (or Chris), and I am a writer of stuff. I live in Michigan. I play Ultimate, ride a bike, and supposedly educate college persons while myself being educated in college. I am married with two kids, a beagle, a curly lab, and a grouchy black cat. I like sushi. I love all SF, fantasy, comic books, D&D, board games, and Gnosticism. I am a Jungian. I am currently studying computer science at WMU.

EFF

Satchel

SENSE OF DOUBT STATUS AS OF 0705.04 - 16:45

Sense of Doubt is not currently dedicated to any themes or special interest. The subject matter is mine and may range from comic books to ultimate or from Baseball to feminist-centered media criticism. Until I feel I have enough content for multiple blogs, or until I am seized with a desire to create multiple blogs, this is it, and appropriately so. "Sense of Doubt" came about in Bowie’s Berlin period and the dark, ambient collaborations with Brian Eno. Like the Bowie of 1978, I have my own darkness that steals over me and through me, infecting everything. At the risk of sounding far too melodramatically obsessed with my own self-flagellations, this blog dedicates itself to that darkness, that infection. But it’s fun, too. Hey, I can be amusing? Or not. It’s the way of the [w]rench. Neurosis compelling action in insecure double-checking and misunderstanding evasions. It is my way.

More from the original description text that needed editing in 2015: Furthermore, Sense of Doubt is dedicated to the random. The theme is no theme. Just questions, doubt, and uncertainty. Feel the power of not knowing the answer. So dedicated on the last day of July 2006 by the Galactic Monkey Wrench.

The Blog about my job

It's about how my identity was taken from me by the powers that think they be, an identity, a job, I held for ten years. Go there if curious.

the galactic monkey wrench

The Galactic Monkey Wrench

This is the logo of the Galactic Monkey Wrench. I was given the nickname Galactic Monkey Wrench in college by a friend of mine who felt that I threw the monkey wrench into the cosmos at every available opportunity. Later, in discussions with my best friend, who isthe Lord of Chaos (the Loc), he asked for my title and when I told him, without thinking, he blurted out "the gmr!" Since this was random and we appreciate randomness, I became the gmr, even though technically I should be the gmw. But gmw sounds like a car or some industrial manufacturing firm that makes a strange widget of which one has never heard.
This acronym fetish may make no sense to anyone else, but my friend and I are quite driven to provide acronyms for many things. At the very least, it allows us to keep our conversations obscure and often private as no one knows about what we're talking.

Sense of Doubt Rare video

the gmrstudios repository of doubt

Christopher Tower's Facebook Posts

Monkey Wrench Books

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